Converting attachment



March 10, .1931. Y 1F, 1 DULTMElER 1,796,091

tCONVEIR'IING ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 1o. 192?k D the line 5 5 ot Figure 2 and Patented Mar. 10, 1931 PATENT OFFICE FRANK J. DUIiTMEIER, OF POCAHONTAS, IDWA CONVERTING ATTACHMENT Application filed November 10, 1927. Serial No. 232,321.

The object of my invention is to provide a convertingr attachment of very simple and inexpensive construction for converting old automobile chassis such as that of a Ford or other automobile, into a trailer or wagon.

More particularly it is my object to provide such a convertingl attachment whichcan be quickly and easily connected to an automo-y bile chassis for the purposes mentioned.

It is a further and more particular object of my invention to provide in such a converting attachment, means for connecting the front axle with a tongue which 4may be longer or shorter as may be desired and for connecting the front steerable wheels with the attachment for control by such tongue.

It is also my purpose to provide a convenient means for supporting and connecting the radius rods for such a chassis as that of a Ford. y

.With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts e of my device, whereby the objects contem- )lated are attained as hereinafter morefullv l a set forth, pointed out in my claims and illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a top or plan view of an auto- 50 mobile chassis equipped with a converting attachment embodying my invention. Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken onthe line 22 of Figure 1. c Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on UJ' the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure t is a detail sectional view taken on `the linee- 1l of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail sectionalvieW taken on Figure Gis an enlarged plan view of a portion of a modified form of my converting attachment.

of various automobiles but for purposes of illustrating one form 1n which my device Y may be used, I have in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, shown a device as installed in connec a@ tion with a Ford chassis While m Figure 6 I tudinal channel bar frame members 10 with the transverse frame members 12 and 14. The

tramer members l2 and 1li are supported in the ordinary way by means oi the springs 1G and 18 upon the -front axle 2O and the rear axle housing 22 respectively.

The engine and drive shaft are removed. The usual rear Wheels 24 are employed as are the front wheels 26. In the case oi the in stallation of my converting attachment on a Ford chassis, the spindles are removed from the front axle and the front wheels are res versed so that the right front wheel is on the let side and the left front wheel on the right s1 e.

The result of this reversal of the front F wheels is to cause the spindle arms 28 to cxtend forwardly and to locate the spindle arm connecting rod 30 in front of the front axle. I cut out a section of the usual steering arm connecting rod 32 and fasten the remaining parts together by means of a threaded sleeve 34 so as to shorten the rod 32 to the proper length. The chassis is then ready for the installation of my converting attachment. It is my purpose to provide a converting attachment which can be used in such man ner as to control the steerable 'front wheels 26. I provide an upper and a lower metal strip or bar, these bars being shown at SG in Figure 8. p rllhc rear ends oi the bars 86 are arranged above and below the axle 20 and are mounted on the axle 2O by means of bolts 3S and `rll) extending through the straps 36 immediately means of a bolt 46 extended Vand through a block 48.

i tra-iler, the tongue A is relatively short.

` 1the 'parts in position. v

through them The lower bars 86 and4l2 arecoiinected'by a spacer toW bar mounted on the bolts l0 and 44a. rlhe spacer tow barY 50 is bent at its central portion tovengage the central Web.

of the axle 2O above the lower flange thereof to prevent rattling.v l Extended through the block 48 in front of the belt 46is a transverse bolt 52. The block 118 has'extended into it :a bore `54C communieating with the bores which receive the re? spective bolts 52 and 46 and forming Va 11u-l bricant channel. An ordinary grease vcup 56 is mounted on the `block Li8 in :communication with the bore 54.

Mounted on the bolt 52 on vopposite sides. of the block 48 are vbars 58V extended tor-` wai'dly and forming a portion ot a tongue Mounted-in the rear end of the spacer barY 68 is an upper vvbolt 74 having on its lower end a ball 76 to Which the steering arm consI necting rod 32 is secured by the usual cap 76 'ot ordinary construction. A It will be seen that the converted device may be drawn as a trailer by the tongue A but when the tongue Ar swings tothe rightVr 'or lett, the Wheels'26 will be guided. Il? lien lthe drive shaft anddrive shaft tubing or Yhousing, are removed there arises the necessity of properly supporting the' -tront i'adius rods 7 8 and the rear radius'rods 80..

For this purpose I mount on the longitudinal frame members l() a cross yoke 82` the central portion of Which stands substantially belovv the level of the frame members 10 as shown clearly in Figure 4." Rearvvardly with relation to the cross yoke 82, I mount a transverse angle bar 811 `on the frame meinlbers l0. A brace 86 connects the central portions of the cross yoke .82 and Athev bar. 84.. V

Ordinary radius i'od Caps 88 are secured to the lower central portion ot the cross yoke 82 by means `of bolts 90. Tliese'caps receive theball 92 at the rear end ofthe front radius rod 78 for thus properly. supporting the rear ends of Ythose radiusiods.v VThe .liront ends vof theiear radius rods80 are extended through the downwardly extending flange of the crossbar .841 Vas ,shown in Figure 2` andv have nuts 9e mounted on them for 'locking ikexpense. available and a trailer or Wagon can thus be It Will thus be seen that I have provided a converting attachment of very simple Vc011- struction Wherebya forward chassis may be made into a trailer orWagon at a moderate There are many of these chassis constructed very cheaply. Y Y

The resulting construction is strong and rigid. The lattachment allords a convenient 'means for hauling the trailer vand the tongue A readily zand' suitably guides the Wheels 26. Suitable lubricationis provided for the bolts V52 and ,46' ivhere the'greatest Wear is likely to occur.

-The tongue A is mounted for vertical piv- `otal movement and lorv horizontal pivotal movement. Y

p In Figure 6 I 'have Vslioivna portion Aof a type of chassis having the front axle 20a and having at one sideV an arm 96 extending forwardly :from one of the spindles. I'Vhere such a construction is found in the chassis or Where it is desirableto leave the spindle arm connecting rod indicated atl 30a behind theaxle andto employ a special arml 96,l the wheels of course, are not reversed and the rod 82a similar to tlie rod 32 is connected to lthe arm 96. v y y The Wheels 26afin the modified form of the device can then be steered inthe saine Way of the Wheels 2,6 otherwise the parts of the front of the chassis are practically the same as has already been described.V

' It will be obvious that some changes may be made in the details of .construction and arrangement of my improved converting attachment Without departing `from the real spirit and purpose of my invention and it'is my intention to cover by my claims any modi- .fied forms of Vstructure or use of mechanical 'equivalents which may be reasonably included Within their scope. l I claim as my invention v 1. rIn a structure of the class described, a frame having rear supporting Wheels, a front axle, spindles pivoted to the front axle, steerable Wheels on the spindles, armson the spindles, a tie rod connecting said arms, a tongue, means v for connecting the tongue With the Vfront axle, comprising pairs of forwardly convergingbars, `the members of said pairs being varranged* to overlie and underlie the axle respectively at their rear ends and to overlap the respective members of the `other pair at their Jforward ends, bolts for con-necting the members of each pair in front and behind the' axle, a spacer oar mounted on certain of said `bolts Jfor folding the rear ends of said bars at fixed distances from each other, a universal joint device for connecting the tongue with the forward ends ofsaid bars for 'vertical' and horizontal pivotajlniove-Y 'inent, andineans for connecting" the steer- Va-lole Wheels with the tongueforwardly 'of y said pivot structure, whereby the wheels may be steered according to the horizontal movement of the tongue.

2. In a structure of the class described, a frame having spaced longitudinal members and spaced transverse members, a rear axle, a spring for supporting the rear part of the frame on the rear axle, wheels on the rear axle, springs for supporting the front portion of the frame on the front axle, spindles pivoted to the front axle ends, steerable wheels on the spindles, arms connected with said spindles, a tie rod connecting said arms, a tongue secured to said axle for horizontal, pivotal movement, and means for operatively connecting said front wheels with the tongue, radius rods projecting forwardly and inclined toward each other from the rear axle, a Wishbone radius rod device connected with the front axle. and extending rearwardly therefrom, a hanging yoke extending between the longitudinal frame members, means for securing the rear end of said wishbone radius rod structure with said yoke, a transverse member connecting the horizontal members, means for connecting the forward ends of said first radius rods with said transverse member, and means for rigidly connecting said yoke and said transverse frame member.

3. In a structure of the class described, a wheel supported frame having an I-beam front axle and steerable front Wheels, forwardly converging pairs of bars, the mem- 05 bers of each pair being arranged to overlie and underlie the axle respectively at their rear ends and to overlap the respective members of the other pair at their forward ends, bolts for connecting the members of each 4o pair in front and behind the axle, a spacer bar mounted on certain of said bolts for holding the rear ends of said bars at fixed distances from each other having its central portion shaped to'engage the axle above its ia lower ange and a tongue connected with the forward ends of said bars.

Des Moines, Iowa, October 29, 1927.

FRANK J. DULTMEIER. 

